I dont know why they do it, but I’ve heard of rabbits doing so. They just cope better with cooler temps compared to the heat.

And addition to the habitat could be some tube/tunnels. Maybe some big poly pipe or concrete? Or inverted V type structures.
Rabbit seem to like shelters where there is 2 exit points. So they’re less likely to get cornered.

I had to move two of mine inside to bond them and they HATED it. One of them just sat in the corner of her hutch all day and sulked. Rabbits certainly prefer cold to warm. Around 40-50 F is their favorite.

Since they are digging tunnels, make sure they can’t dig down and out of the enclosure.

Honestly, I think it’s a little sad to keep them in the snow. It wouldn’t be done with a dog or a cat. A bunny is no different. If you’re going to keep them outside, have them hutched up in an enclosure while it rains or snows so they don’t get sick or even too muddy.

Is there a way of covering the structure that they are enclosed in with a tarp of some description? That wpuld give them their freedom, but also shelter them from the worst of the elements.

When i gave my rabbits an outdoor enclosure i half buried a 50l plastic container and fed clay chimney flue pipes into it – this mimicked a warren for them, and it had 3 bunny exits and additionally a lid I could lift off.
This would let you add some warm bedding and be able to clean it psuedo regularly, and offer a very natural home for them, that protects from the elements , with not that much effort!

Asriel and Bombur bunnies love snow. As long as they have access to a shelter, they will be just fine. Just like how horses have run in shelters but also access to outside.

I honestly wouldn’t compare bunnies to horses. Although it is true rabbits enjoy cooler weather I would also be concerned about rain and snow. I have never heard of a horse dying from a bath (of course falls can happen resulting in accidental death) but rabbits are completely different. Wet rabbit fur can take a long time to dry and this can lead to hypothermia. If they get too cold they can also get stressed and have a compromised immune system. They can get respiratory infections, snuffles etc. Wet fur can also cause matting.

I know some people with house rabbits will allow their bunnies to play in snow for short periods of time but normally special care is made to ensure the rabbits are dry and warm when the play session is over.

Personally if I felt too guilty bringing them inside (although I would be curious to find out if eventually they got used to the idea of being inside as part of the family) I would make sure they stayed out of the elements but still had a nice large area when the weather is too bad.

I know rabbits and horses are a bad comparison, I was more trying to compare the housing arrangement similarity.

Yes, but you also can’t just say they enjoy playing lets keep them out there playing the snow for extended periods. That’s why I said when it snows and rains, keep them enclosed until it has passed.

Rabbits don’t always know what’s good for them. They’ll eat things that are poisonous, jump into toilets, chew through wires and sit in the freezing cold. It’s our jobs to stop them doing things that are dangerous.

They may well be happier outside, but they should still have a roof and at least half of the shelter should be fully walled- many people have large sheds with access to a bigger run or aviary. If the weather is really bad you can lock them in just the shed for warmth.

I am not a fan of keeping rabbits outdoors, but I am a fan of the 5 freedoms of animal welfare. One of the freedoms is the opportunity to express natural behaviors. For rabbits, that’ means things like living with or at least near other rabbits, running, digging, nesting, gnawing etc. This is the 4th freedom of the 5 freedoms. Freedoms 1-3 are about access to proper food
and water, appropriate housing and freedom from pain, injury and disease.

Proper housing for rabbits in freezing degrees is a shelter that’s elevated off the ground and provides protection against rain, snow and wind. Warmed-up drinking water should be served at least twice a day (because water obviously freezes). Bedding material such as hay, straw, wooden shavings etc should be provided. In my country Sweden, rabbits are also required by law to have a perching board in their hutch.

The 5th freedom is about freedom from fear, distress and mental suffering. That can for example mean
that the rabbit habitat should be secure from predators, both wild and tame.

If all this is seen to, I think your rabbits can be very happy outdoors. If they fully understand that they have a choice between a weatherproof shelter and being out in inclement weather, it might be argued that they could be allowed to choose for themselves. Obviously if for example a storm is expected you should take precautions.

Rabbits are good at keeping warm and do not require extra heating in a weatherproof hutch, but if their fur gets soaked through, they do get cold. Very fluffy rabbits should have their butt fur cut so it doesn’t get dragged around in mud.

Keeping rabbits outdoors is not for me, because I’m a worry wart and I like the security of indoors life for my buns. This is a house bunny forum, so you’ll mostly find advocates of keeping buns indoors here.

Here is a link to Wikipedia on the 5 freedoms of animal welfare:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_freedoms

Basically this is about how you believe your rabbits will be getting the best life you can give them. It does take a bit of conscientious weighing of the pros and cons. Sometimes making a list of the pros and cons can be helpful.

Rabbits are very territorial. Spaying/neutering can help, but does not completely eliminate territorial behavior. When rabbits are introduced to a new area, they may have a shuffle over who’s boss, even if they get along great in their normal habitat. How old are the buns? If they are under a year (around 5-11 months) their hormones are taking over if they aren’t altered. Its not a complete disaster, though. Even unaltered rabbits can be bonded- two of mine got in a huge fight when they were about a year old. By huge, I mean there was blood. They rebonded after about a month, and stayed best buds until one went to bunny heaven.
Did you actually observe any aggressive behavior, such as chasing, mounting, boxing, or biting?

That’s why I was suggesting having something to block it off when it rains/snows. Something to physically block their hutch from the run so they can’t just go out and lay in the precipitation. Or even just locking them in. Sure, they’ll be annoyed but it’s what’s best.

As for the fighting, bonds can be disrupted when there’s change. Age and hormones are a factor.

If they are fighting, they need to be separated. They can and will hurt each other if the scuffles keep up, and it will be easy to bond them if they aren’t terrified of each other.